Ultrashort laser pulses are routinely used to process materials in medicine and science. In certain cases, very high peak intensities may be required. In certain applications, the laser pulses pass through optics and are then focused at a focus point at a target. The optics, however, may stretch the laser pulses with respect to time, which reduces the peak intensity of the pulses at the target. Moreover, shorter laser pulses may experience greater stretching than longer laser pulses.